Female hardened optical connectors for use with male plug connectors

ABSTRACT

A female hardened fiber optic connector for terminating an end of a fiber optic cable that is suitable for making an optical connection with another hardened cable assembly and cable assemblies using the same are disclosed. The female hardened fiber optic connector includes a connector assembly, a crimp body, a connector sleeve, and female coupling housing. The connector sleeve has one or more orientation features that cooperate with one or more orientation features inside the female coupling housing. The crimp body has a first shell and a second shell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachment region rearward of the front end for securing a cable.

PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/769,251 filed on Feb. 26, 2013the content of which is relied upon and incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure is directed to female hardened optical connectors andcable assemblies using the same. More specifically, the disclosure isdirected to female hardened optical connectors used for making anoptical connection with a hardened male plug connector.

Optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications,including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and datatransmission. As bandwidth demands increase optical fiber is migratingtoward subscribers in outdoor communication networks such as in fiber tothe premises applications such as FTTx and the like. To address thisneed for making optical connections in communication networks for theoutside the plant environment hardened fiber optic connectors weredeveloped. One of the most commercially successful hardened fiber opticconnectors is the OptiTap® male plug connector sold by Corning CableSystems, LLC of Hickory, N.C., such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.7,090,406 and 7,113,679 (the '406 and '679 patents) and incorporatedherein by reference. The Optitap® connector is a hardened male plugconnector for terminating a cable that is configured for opticalconnection using a receptacle. As used herein, the term “hardened”describes a connector or receptacle port intended for making anenvironmentally sealed optical connection suitable for outdoor use, andthe term “non-hardened” describes a connector or receptacle port that isnot intended for making an environmentally sealed optical connection.

FIGS. 1A-1C are prior art depictions showing various stages of mating ofa preconnectorized cable 10 having an OptiTap® male plug connector witha receptacle 30. Receptacle 30 that receives the OptiTap® male plugconnector has a first end (not visible) that receives a standard SCconnector (i.e., a non-hardened receptacle port) and a second end(visible) having a hardened receptacle port for receiving the OptiTap®male plug connector, thereby making an optical connection between ahardened connector and a non-hardened connector. Receptacle 30 typicallyis mounted in a wall of an enclosure or the like with a first endtypically disposed inside an enclosure for environmental protection andthe second end extends outward of the enclosure for connectivity. Simplystated, receptacle 30 has a first side with a non-hardened receptacleport and a second side with a hardened receptacle port for receiving theOptiTap® male plug connector. Thus, receptacle 30 can opticallyconnected the hardened OptiTap® male plug connector with a non-hardenedconnector such as a standard SC connector. Consequently, a networkoperator can make an optical connection between a robust outdoor fiberoptic cable assembly to a less robust indoor cable assembly as known inthe art.

Due to installation space available, right-of-way, complexity issues andthe like, some installations require network providers to provide thirdparty access to an existing network so the subscriber may choose amongnetwork operators (i.e., a multi-operator option), instead of runningentirely new cabling to the subscriber. Thus, a third party operator mayneed to connect a new subscriber to their network who already has anexisting drop cable installed and routed to the premises of thesubscriber. Consequently, there exists an unresolved need for hardenedcable assemblies that can connector subscribers to third party networkoperators in a quick and reliable manner.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is directed to female hardened fiber optic connectorsincluding a connector assembly, a body having first shell and a secondshell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shellsand a cable attachment region rearward of the front end, a connectorsleeve having a passageway between a first end and a second end alongwith one or more connector sleeve orientation features and a femalecoupling housing. The female coupling housing has an opening with aninternal attachment feature along with one or more coupling housingorientation features that cooperate with the one or more connectorsleeve orientation features. The female hardened fiber optic connectorscan be mated directly to a male hardened connector such as the OptiTapmale plug connector.

The disclosure is also directed to a hardened fiber optic connectorassembly including a fiber optic cable having at least one optical fiberand a female hardened fiber optic connector attached to the at least oneoptical fiber of the fiber optic cable. The female hardened fiber opticconnector includes a connector assembly having a crimp body with a firstshell and a second shell for securing a connector assembly at a frontend of the shells and a cable attachment region rearward of the frontend, a connector sleeve having a passageway between a first end and asecond end and including one or more connector sleeve orientationfeatures along with an orientation rail disposed within the passageway,and a female coupling housing having an opening with an internalattachment feature along with one or more female coupling housingorientation features that cooperate with the one or more connectorsleeve orientation features for aligning the connector sleeve inside thefemale coupling housing.

The disclosure is further directed to a method of making a hardenedfiber optic connector assembly, comprising the steps of providing afiber optic cable having at least one optical fiber, providing a femalehardened fiber optic connector that includes a connector assembly with acrimp body having a first shell and a second shell for securing theconnector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachmentregion rearward of the front end, providing a connector sleeve having apassageway between a first end and a second end and that includes one ormore connector sleeve orientation features, attaching the at least oneoptical fiber to the connector assembly, securing the connector assemblybetween the first shell and second shell, and placing the connectorassembly, crimp body and connector sleeve into a female couplinghousing.

Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the detaileddescription which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing thesame as described herein, including the detailed description thatfollows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description present embodiments that are intendedto provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature andcharacter of the claims. The accompanying drawings are included toprovide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporatedinto and constitute a part of this specification. The drawingsillustrate various embodiments and together with the description serveto explain the principles and operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIGS. 1A-1C show portions of a conventional preconnectorized fiber dropcable having an OptiTap® male plug connector being inserted into andconnected with a conventional receptacle;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of a preconnectorized cable assemblyusing the conventional OptiTap® male plug connector of FIGS. 1A-1C;

FIG. 3 is simplified schematic of a portion of an optical networkshowing a preconnectorized female hardened connector that is suitablefor optical connection with the conventional OptiTap® male plugconnector;

FIG. 4 is a close-up side view of a female hardened connector attachedto a fiber optic cable according to the concepts disclosed herein;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the female hardened connector of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled female hardenedconnector depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector sleeve of the femalehardened connector depicted in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 8 and 9 respectively are a front view and a front perspective viewof the connector sleeve of the female hardened connector of FIGS. 4 and5;

FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the connector sleeve of the femalehardened connector of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the female coupling housing of thefemale hardened connector of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIGS. 12 and 13 respectively are a front end view and a frontperspective view of the female coupling housing of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a perspective cut-away assembled view of the assembled femalehardened connector of FIGS. 4 and 5 with the dust cap removed;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the female hardened connectorof FIG. 4 connected to the conventional OptiTap® male plug connector;

FIG. 16 is a partial perspective view showing the orientation between aportion of the connector sleeve and the connector assembly of the femalehardened connector; and

FIGS. 17-19 depict different methods for attaching strength members offiber optic cables to the crimp body for making cable assemblies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of thedisclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used torefer to like components or parts.

The female hardened fiber optic connectors and cable assembliesdescribed herein are suitable for making optical and/oroptical-electrical connections (if electrical connections are includedin the connectors) to a conventional male hardened connector such as theOptiTap® male plug connector. Although the concepts disclosed herein areexplained with respect to a female hardened fiber optic connector usedfor optical connection with an OptiTap connector, the concepts disclosedmay be used with other hardened connectors and are not limited to thisparticular optical connection. The concepts of the disclosureadvantageously allow the simple, quick, and economical cable assembliesfor deployment by the craft in the field so a subscriber with anexisting drop cable may be connected to a third party network forservice or the like. Reference will now be made in detail to theembodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used torefer to like components or parts.

FIG. 2 depicts a partially exploded view of a preconnectorized cableassembly 10 having the conventional OptiTap® male plug connector 50depicted in FIGS. 1A-1C for attachment to cable 40′. Fiber optic cable40′ is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,674, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference. Conventional male plug connector 50includes an industry standard SC type connector assembly 52 having aconnector body 52 a, a ferrule 52 b in a ferrule holder (not numbered),a spring 52 c, and a spring push 52 d. Conventional male plug connector50 also includes a crimp assembly (not numbered) that includes a crimphousing having at least one shell 55 a and a crimp band 54, a shroud 60having one or more O-rings 59, a coupling nut 64 having externalthreads, a cable boot 66, a heat shrink tube 67, and a protective cap 68secured to boot 66 by a wire assembly 69. Male plug connector 50 is atypical hardened connector used for drop cable assemblies tosubscribers.

FIG. 3 depicts a simplified schematic showing a portion of amulti-operator optical waveguide network 1 in an exemplary fiber to thelocation ‘x’ (FTTx). ‘x’ in the acronym represents the end location ofthe optical waveguide, for instance, FTTC is fiber to the curb. In thiscase, the network 1 is a fiber to the premises (FTTP) application. FTTParchitectures advantageously route at least one optical waveguide to thepremises, thereby providing a high bandwidth connection to thesubscriber. Moreover, applications to locations other than to the curbor premises are also possible. Downstream from a central office CO,network 1 includes one or more links that connect to a network accesspoint (NAP) in the network such as an aerial closure (such as depictedin the rectangle), multiport, or the like. As shown, drop link comprisesa preconnectorized fiber optic drop cable 10 (hereinafterpreconnectorized cable) suitable for outdoor environments that is routedto the NAP of a first service provider for optical connection. The NAPtypical uses a receptacle having a first side with a hardened receptacleport that extends externally of NAP and a second side having anon-hardened receptacle port that extends within the NAP and isprotected from the outdoor environment. However, a subscriber may wishto receive service from a different (i.e., second) service provider(i.e., a competitor installation) using the existing drop cable runningto the premises, instead of the first service provider. Consequently,the OptiTap® male plug connector 50 of the drop link needs to beconnected to a suitable interface. The concepts of the presentapplication provide a female hardened optical connector 150 along withpreconnectorized cable assemblies using the female hardened connectorthat efficiently and economically streamlines the deployment andinstallation for multi-operator solutions into the last mile of thefiber optic network such as to the premises so that the craft can easilychange service providers. Although, network 1 shows a simplifiedconfiguration of one type of FTTx architecture, other networks canemploy the concepts disclosed herein. Other networks may include othersuitable components such as distribution closures, amplifiers, couplers,transducers, or the like. Likewise, other networks besides FTTxarchitectures can also benefit from the concepts disclosed.

As shown, FIG. 3 depicts preconnectorized cable assemblies 10 havingconventional male plug connectors 50 as drop cable assemblies foroptical connection to subscribers 5. For multi-operator networks, thethird party operator may need to connect to an existing conventionalmale plug connector 50. The present application discloses femalehardened connectors 150 suitable for optical connection with the malehardened connector 50 of preconnectorized cable assembly 10.

As depicted by FIG. 3, the third party operator may only have access toconnect the new subscriber by making the optical connection with theexisting male hardened connector that is already routed to thesubscriber. In other words, the drop cable to the subscriber isdisconnected (i.e., unplugged) from the first network operated by afirst network operator at a NAP terminal such as a multi-port or aerialdisclosure. Thereafter, if the subscriber wishes to use a differentthird-party network operator to provide new service they must connect tothe existing drop due to right-of-way, convenience, or other concerns.

FIG. 4 is side view of a preconnectorized cable assembly having a femalehardened connector 150 attached to a fiber optic cable 40′, therebyforming a hardened fiber optic cable assembly 100. Female hardenedconnector 150 also has a dust cap 148 attached thereto via a femalecoupling housing 164. Consequently, the female hardened fiber opticcable assembly 100 may be optically coupled with an OptiTap® male plugconnector if a change in service providers is desired. Simply stated,the existing drop link 10 of FIG. 3 may be disconnected from the NAP orother location and then the hardened male plug such as the OptiTap® maleplug connector 50 or the like may be optically connected to the femalehardened cable assembly 100 having the female hardened connector 150 ofthe present application by removing dust cap 148 and then directlyattaching male plug connector 50. Stated another way, the femalecoupling housing 164 is sized for receiving the male OptiTap plugconnector 50 within the front end opening for direct optical mating.Female hardened connector 150 has a relatively small form factor andaligns the male plug connector 50 in the proper orientation so it mayonly mates in one direction. Further, the optical coupling between thefemale hardened connector 50 and the male OptiTap plug connector 50 isenvironmentally sealed.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of thefemale hardened connector 150 of FIG. 4. Female hardened connector 150includes connector assembly 52, a crimp body 55 having at least oneshell 55 a (as shown two shells 55 a that form the crimp body) and anoptional crimp band (not shown), a connector sleeve 136, a femalecoupling housing 164, along with a cable boot 66, and a heat shrink tube67. For complexity reduction and simplification, the female hardenedconnector 150 can use many of the same parts as the OptiTap® male plugconnector 50 or other standard parts as desired; however, certaincomponents are specific female hardened connector 150. By way ofexample, female hardened connector 150 includes an industry standard SCtype connector assembly 52 or the like having a connector body 52 a, aferrule 52 b in a ferrule holder (not numbered), a spring 52 c, and aspring push 52 d, like to the OptiTap® male plug connector. Although,the term crimp body is used the body does not require crimp or crimpband and may use other securing means such as adhesive or the like forsecuring the shells 55 a together. The connector may also include a dustcap 148, but other suitable configurations are possible using fewer ormore components. For instance, female hardened connector 150 may alsoinclude an optional lanyard for the dust cap 148 as desired so it isprevented from being lost or separated from the assembly.

Generally speaking, most of the components of female plug connector 150are formed from a suitable polymer, but other materials such as metalare possible. In one example, the polymer is a UV stabilized polymersuch as ULTEM 2210 available from GE Plastics if the component isexposed to the elements; however, other suitable polymer materials arepossible. For instance, stainless steel or any other suitable metal maybe used for various components as desired.

FIGS. 7-10 are various views of connector sleeve 136. Specifically, FIG.7 is a cross-sectional view of connector sleeve 136 and FIGS. 8 and 9respectively are front and perspective views of connector sleeve 136.FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the connector sleeve 136.Connector sleeve 136 may be formed as a single component or formed as anassembly of more than one component. In this embodiment, connectorsleeve 136 is formed from several components, thereby making thefeatures of the connector sleeve easier manufacture.

As shown in FIG. 7, connector sleeve 136 has a through passageway from afirst end 131 to a second end 132 for receiving and aligning respectiveferrules of the male plug connector 50 and the female hardened connector150 when mated. Specifically, when assembled, connector sleeve 136 fitswithin female coupling housing 164 and is used for aligning ferrule 52 bof the female hardened plug connector 150 with the corresponding ferruleof the male plug connector 50. As best shown in FIG. 7, connector sleeve136 includes a body 133, an alignment sleeve 135, and a cap 137. Asdepicted, alignment sleeve 135 has a portion disposed within body 133and is secured therein by cap 137. Specifically, a flange (not numbered)of alignment sleeve 135 is aligned to body 133 using a recess portion ofbody 133 and cap 137 is attached to the body 133 for capturing andsecuring the flange of the alignment sleeve 135 between the body 133 andcap 137.

In addition to the connector sleeve 136 having a passageway 136 abetween the first end 131 and the second end 132 it also includes one ormore connector sleeve orientation features. Connector sleeve orientationfeatures can have many different suitable constructions such as lugs,tabs, openings, etc. for cooperating with the one or more femalecoupling housing orientation features on the female coupling housing. Inthe embodiment illustrated, connector sleeve 136 includes a first lugand a second lug for fitting the connector sleeve 136 into the femalecoupling housing 164. Stated another way, connector sleeve 136 fits intofemale coupling housing 164 in only one orientation using first tab 136b and second tab 136 c having different shapes as discussed below.

As best shown in FIG. 10, connector sleeve 136 optionally includes anorientation rail 139 for allowing connector assembly 52 of femalehardened plug connector 150 to be assembled into the connector sleeve136 in only a single orientation. As shown in FIG. 16, orientation rail139 has a profile that only allows a narrow end of connector body 52 ato abut the orientation rail 139 during assembly.

FIGS. 11-13 depict various views of female coupling housing 164.Specifically, FIGS. 11 and 12 respectively are a perspective and frontview of the female coupling housing 164 and FIG. 13 is perspective viewlooking into the front end opening for showing details inside the femalecoupling housing 164. Female coupling housing 164 has an elongatestructure with a passageway 163 extending from the opening at a frontend 161 to a rear end 162 and sized so that the shroud 60 of OptiTapmale plug connector 50 fits into the front end 161 of passageway 163when properly aligned. Consequently, male plug connector 50 may bedirectly mated with the female hardened connector 150 for making anoptical connection therebetween such as shown in FIG. 15. As shown,female coupling housing 164 includes a first portion at the front endthat necks down to a second portion at the rear end. The first portionincludes the internal attachment feature such as internal threads 165that cooperate directly with the complimentary external threads of maleplug connector 50. Once the male plug connector 50 is attached to thefemale hardened connector 150 the assembly is suitable for making anoptical connection therebetween such as for a third-party networkoperator to provide service over a previously installed drop cable.

Female coupling housing 164 includes features for aligning and securingconnector sleeve 136 along with alignment features for correctlyorientating male plug connector 50. As depicted, female coupling housing164 includes a stop ledge 164 a integrally formed in a side wall (i.e.,disposed on the side wall) that is disposed rearward of internal threads165. Stop ledge 164 a is configured so that it only allows the shroud 60of male plug connector 50 to fully seat within the female couplinghousing 164 in one orientation for keying the optical coupling. In otherwords, the shroud 60 of the OptiTap male plug connector 50 has alignmentfingers having different shapes and the stop ledge 164 a only allows themale plug connector 50 to fully seat for optical coupling in oneorientation by preventing insertion of the larger alignment finger intothe female coupling housing 164 past the stop ledge 164 a. Femalecoupling housing 164 also includes a shelf (not numbered) within thepassageway and disposed rearward of the stop ledge 164 a. Shelf 164 dhas a complementary shape for receiving connector sleeve 136 andincludes a first retention feature 164 b and a second retention feature164 c. Shelf 164 d has a generally rectangular shape that cooperateswith the generally rectangular shape of connector sleeve 136 so that itfits within the passageway of female coupling housing 164. As best shownin FIG. 13, first retention feature 164 b and second retention feature164 c have different sizes that cooperate with tabs 136 b,136 c disposedon connector sleeve 136 so that it may only fully seat into shelf 164 din one orientation. Further, the stop ledge 164 a has a specificorientation relative to first retention feature 164 b and secondretention feature 164 c.

FIG. 14 is a perspective cut-away assembled view of female hardenedconnector 150 with the dust cap removed for showing assembly details.When fully assembled the crimp body 55 fits into female coupling housing164 and is keyed to direct the insertion of the same into the couplinghousing 164 in the correct orientation. In this case, shells 55 ainclude planar surfaces on opposite sides of crimp body 55 to inhibitrelative rotation between crimp body 55 and female coupling housing 164.In other embodiments, the crimp body 55 may be keyed to the femalecoupling housing 164 using other configurations such as a complementaryprotrusion/groove or the like.

Rear end 162 of coupling housing 164 includes second portion (notnumbered). The second portion is used for securing heat shrink tubing 67for providing environmental protection between the coupling housing 164and the fiber optic cable 40′ and weatherproofing the preconnectorizedcable assembly. The other end of heat shrink tubing 67 is disposed abouta portion of the cable jacket, thereby inhibiting water from enteringfemale hardened connector 150. Further, the second portion allows forthe attachment of boot 66 to the rear end 162 of coupling housing 164.After the heat shrink tubing 67 is attached, boot 66 may be slid overheat shrink tubing 67. Specifically, boot 66 may be positioned over theshrink tubing 67 at rear end 162 of female coupling housing 164 forproviding further bending strain relief for the cable assembly.

Boot 66 may be formed from a flexible material such as KRAYTON or thelike. Heat shrink tubing 67 and boot 66 generally inhibit kinking andprovide bending strain relief to the cable 40′ near female hardenedconnector 150. Boot 66 has a longitudinal passageway (not visible) andmay have a stepped profile therethrough. The first end of the bootpassageway is sized to fit over the heat shrink tubing 67. The first endof the boot passageway has a stepped down portion sized for cable 40′ orother suitable cable that may be used and the heat shrink tubing 67 andacts as stop for indicating that the boot is fully seated. Dust cap 68has external threads for engaging the internal threads of femalecoupling housing 164 for attachment and thereby inhibit dirt and debrisfrom entering the female hardened connector 150 via the front end 161 offemale coupling housing 164. Moreover, the cap may include an O-ring forproviding a weatherproof seal between female hardened connector 150 anddust cap 68 when installed.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the female hardened connector150 mated to the OptiTap® male plug connector 50. As shown, the shroud60 of the OptiTap male plug connector 50 has alignment fingers havingdifferent shapes and when mated the stop ledge 164 a only allows themale plug connector 50 to fully seat for optical coupling in oneorientation by preventing insertion of the larger alignment finger intothe female coupling housing 164 past the stop ledge 164 a. In oneembodiment, the correct mating orientation is marked on the femalecoupling housing 164 such as an alignment indicia so that the craftsmancan quickly and easily mate preconnectorized cable 100 with the maleplug connector 50. For instance, the alignment indicia may be an arrowor dot molded into the female coupling housing 164, however, othersuitable indicia may be used. Thereafter, the craftsman engages theinternal attachment feature 165 such as internal threads of femalecoupling housing 164 with the complimentary external threads of maleplug connector 50 as best shown in FIG. 6 for making the opticalconnection shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 16 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of the connectorsleeve 136 having a connector assembly 52 disposed therein.Specifically, FIG. 16 shows body 133 of connector sleeve 136 havingconnector assembly 52 inserted therein. More specifically, a narrow sideof connector body 52 a of connector assembly 52 abuts the orientationrail 139 of body 133. Stated another way, orientation rail 139 of body133 only allows connector assembly 52 to be orientated in one positionfor assembly. Likewise, the orientation features such as first tab 136 band second tab 136 c of connector sleeve 136 only allow the connectorsleeve 136 to be orientated in one position for assembly with the femalecoupling housing 164 having the cooperating female coupling housingorientation features 164 b, 164 c. Further, the edge stop feature of 164a of female coupling housing 164 only allows the shroud 60 of theOptiTap male plug connector 50 to fully seat with the female hardenedfiber optic connector 150 for optical coupling in one orientation bypreventing insertion of the larger alignment finger into the femalecoupling housing 164 past the stop ledge 164 a. Consequently, therespective connector assemblies 52 of OptiTap male plug connector 50 andfemale hardened fiber optic connector 150 are arranged in the samepredetermined relationship.

Preconnectorized cable 100 may have any suitable length desired;however, preconnectorized cable 100 can have standardized lengths.Moreover, preconnectorized cable 100 may include a length markingindicia for identifying its length. For instance, the length markingindicia may be a marking located on the cable such as a colored stripeor denoted in a print statement. Likewise, the length marking indiciamay be a marking located on female hardened connector 150. In oneembodiment, length marking indicia may be denoted by a marking on femalecoupling housing 164 such as a colored stripe. In any event, the lengthmarking indicia should be easily visible so the craftsperson mayidentify the preconnectorized cable length. By way of example, a redmarking indicia on female coupling housing 164 denotes a length of about50 feet while an orange marking indicia denotes a length of about 100feet.

The described explanatory embodiment provides an optical connection thatcan be made in the field between a conventional OptiTap® male plugconnector 50 and the female hardened connector 150 disclosed hereinwithout any special tools, equipment, or training. Additionally, theoptical connection is easily connected or disconnected by merely matingor unmating the connector on the ends of preconnectorized cable 10 withthe female hardened connector assembly 100 by threadly engaging ordisengaging the coupling nut on the OptiTap® male plug connector 50 withthe attachment features 165 such as internal threads of the femalecoupling housing of the female hardened connector 150. Thus, the femalehardened connectors disclosed allow deployment of a third party networkprovider to an existing cable assembly having an OptiTap® male plugconnector of the subscriber such as in fiber to the location ‘x’ in aneasy and economical manner, thereby providing the end user with anoption among service providers. Furthermore, the concepts disclosed canbe practiced with other fiber optic cables, connectors and/or otherpreconnectorized cable configurations.

FIGS. 17-19 depict different methods for attaching tensile elements offiber optic cables to the crimp body 55 for making cable assembliesusing female hardened connector 150. The female hardened connectors 150disclosed herein are advantageous since they may connnectorized variousdifferent types of cable constructions such as flat cables or roundcables that may have different types of tensile elements. As usedherein, the term “strength component” means the strength element hasanti-buckling strength, while the term “strength member” means thestrength element lacks anti-buckling strength. Furthermore, the term“tensile element” means either a strength component or a strengthmember. An example of a strength component is a glass-reinforced plastic(GRP) rod and an example of a strength member is a tensile yarn such asKevlar® or the like.

FIGS. 17 and 18 depict fiber optic cable 40′ having one or more strengthcomponents 44 such as GRP rods disposed between a first shell 55 a and asecond shell 55 a of crimp body 55. As shown, cable 40′ has the opticalfiber attached to the connector assembly 52 and is positioned within afirst shell 55 a. In this explanatory embodiment, cable 40′ has agenerally flat construction, but may have oval, trilobal or othersuitable shapes with an optical component 42 having strength components44 disposed on opposite sides of the optical component 42, which aregenerally surrounded by a cable jacket 48. As best shown in FIG. 17,shells 55 a have recesses or passageways for receiving the strengthcomponents 44 therein and a first end for securing connector assembly 52therebetween. The alignment of shells 55 a is accomplished by one ormore pins 57 c that fit within one or more complementary bores 57 d thatmay be formed in the shells 55 a or the pins may be discrete componentsas desired. In advantageous embodiments, the shells can be symmetricalso only one mold is needed for making both shells. FIG. 18 depicts bothshells disposed about the strength components 44 of cable 40′. Shells 55a may be secured in any suitable manner such as by a crimp band 54and/or adhesive as desired. Shells 55 a may also include one or morebores 56 d so that excess adhesive may escape if used for securing thecrimp body 55. As shown, the optional crimp band 54 is slid onto cable40′ prior to placing the cable in the shell 55 a and then can be slidover the crimp body as represented by the arrow before being deformedabout the crimp body.

FIG. 19 depicts another type of cable construction that may beadvantageously preconnectorized with the female hardened connector 150disclosed herein. The fiber optic cable shown has an optical fiber (notvisible) attached to the connector assembly 52, a plurality of strengthmembers 45 such as Kevlar® or the like, and a cable jacket 48 having agenerally round cross-section. As shown, strength members 45 aredisposed about an outer barrel 55 o of crimp body 55. Thereafter, acrimp band 54 may be slid over the strength members 45 as represented bythe arrow so that the strength members 45 are attached between outerbarrel of the crimp body 55 and the crimp band 54 is deformed to securethe strength members 45.

Still other cables are possible with the female hardened connectordisclosed herein. For instance, cable assemblies disclosed herein mayinclude a fiber optic cable having a subunit surrounded by an upjacketedportion. The subunit includes at least one optical fiber and a pluralityof tensile yarns such as Kevlar, fiberglass, or the like disposed withina subunit jacket. In other words, the tensile yarns form a portion ofthe subunit and are internal to the subunit jacket. The upjacketedportion of fiber optic cable includes strength components such as GRPmembers having anti-buckling strength disposed about the subunit (i.e.,disposed radially outward of the subunit) and within a jacket. In otherwords, the strength components are disposed on opposite sides of thesubunit in a generally linear arrangement. Specifically, the subunit isround and the strength components are disposed on opposite sides of thesubunit and jacket has a generally flat profile. Of course, variationson this cable are possible. By way of example, the at least one opticalfiber can optionally include a buffer layer with a diameter greater than250 microns for providing further protection to the optical fiber suchas 500, 700 or 900 microns, but other nominal sizes are possible. Asanother example, the jacket of the upjacketed portion may have othercross-sectional profiles besides generally flat such as round, oval,tri-lobal, etc. Moreover, the female hardened connector may terminatemore than one optical fiber.

Using cables with a subunit has advantages. For instance, the subunit ofthe cable may be broken out from the cable for attaching a secondconnector to a second end of the subunit. This ability to break-out thesubunit and attach a different type of fiber optic connector isadvantageous for routing the cable assembly from an indoor location suchat the central office and to an outdoor location where a female hardenedconnector is desired. Simply stated, a portion of subunit is broken-outfrom the second end of the cable assembly and there is no need tostrain-relieve (i.e., attach) the upjacketed portion of the cable sincethe tensile yarns of the subunit are strain-relieved. Moreover, thesubunit provides a much smaller and highly flexible fiber optic cable atthe second end of the cable assembly for deployment. Further, any of theembodiments can use any suitable connector assembly such as a SC or a LCconnector assembly having a ferrule and a connector housing along withother suitable components.

The strength components of the upjacketed portion are exposed from theupjacketed portion and then disposed between first shell 55 a and secondshell 55 a as described and illustrated. An optional crimp band 54 maybe used for securing the shells 55 a of crimp body 55 as desired.Additionally, as discussed an adhesive or bonding agent may be used withor without crimp band 54 to attach or secure strength component disposedbetween shells 55 a.

Also, the plurality of tensile yarns of subunit are attached to thecrimp body 55. By way of example, some of the plurality of tensile yarnsare attached between crimp body and crimp band as discussed herein. Inother words, the ends of the tensile yarns are sandwiched/disposedbetween the outer barrel of the crimp body 55 and crimp band 54 and thenthe crimp band is secured (i.e., crimped) to strain-relieve the tensileyarns. As desired, the optical fiber of subunit may enter a protectivetube at least partially disposed within the crimp body. Simply stated, abuffer layer on optical fiber is threaded through (i.e., enters) aprotective tube and at least partially disposed within crimp body 55.Protective tube can have any suitable size, shape and/or length asdesired that allows for suitable performance with optical fiber. Thebuffer layer may also enter the connector assembly 52 as desired, butthe subunit jacket does not enter the crimp body 55. Moreover, thegeometry of shells 55 a of crimp body 55 can be modified for theparticular embodiments shown to provide adequate sizing of passagewaysand the like for the various embodiments.

Although the disclosure has been illustrated and described herein withreference to explanatory embodiments and specific examples thereof, itwill be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art thatother embodiments and examples can perform similar functions and/orachieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples arewithin the spirit and scope of the disclosure and are intended to becovered by the appended claims. It will also be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madeto the concepts disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe same. Thus, it is intended that the present application cover themodifications and variations provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

We claim:
 1. A female hardened fiber optic connector, comprising: aconnector assembly; a crimp body comprising a first shell and a secondshell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shellsand a cable attachment region rearward of the front end; a connectorsleeve comprising a passageway between a first end and a second end andone or more connector sleeve orientation features; and a female couplinghousing comprising an opening with an internal attachment feature alongwith one or more female coupling housing orientation features thatcooperate with the one or more connector sleeve orientation features. 2.The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein the one ormore connector sleeve orientation features are a first tab and a secondtab comprising different shapes.
 3. The female hardened fiber opticconnector of claim 1, wherein the one or more female coupling housingorientation features are a first pocket and a second pocket comprisingdifferent shapes.
 4. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim1, the connector sleeve further including an orientation rail within thepassageway.
 5. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1,wherein the female coupling housing includes a stop ledge disposed on aninner wall.
 6. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1,wherein the female coupling housing is sized for receiving a maleOptiTap connector within the opening for optical mating.
 7. The femalehardened fiber optic connector of claim 1, further including a crimpband.
 8. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1, being aportion of a cable assembly further including a fiber optic cableattached to the hardened fiber optic connector.
 9. The female hardenedfiber optic connector of claim 8, wherein the fiber optic cable includesstrength members secured to a cable attachment region.
 10. The femalehardened fiber optic connector of claim 8, a tensile element of thefiber optic cable being a plurality of tensile yarns attached between anouter barrel of the crimp body and a crimp band or one or more strengthcomponents disposed between a first shell and a second shell of thecrimp body.
 11. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1,wherein the first shell and second shell are secured using a crimp bandand/or an adhesive.
 12. The female hardened fiber optic connector ofclaim 8, wherein the fiber optic cable has an optical fiber comprising abuffer layer that enters the crimp body and enters the connectorassembly.
 13. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 8, thecable assembly further includes a boot.
 14. A method of making ahardened fiber optic connector assembly, comprising the steps of:providing a fiber optic cable comprising at least one optical fiber;providing a female hardened fiber optic connector that includes aconnector assembly, a crimp body comprising a first shell and a secondshell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shellsand a cable attachment region rearward of the front end, providing aconnector sleeve comprising a passageway between a first end and asecond end and including one or more connector sleeve orientationfeatures; attaching the at least one optical fiber to the connectorassembly; securing the connector assembly between the first shell andsecond shell; and placing the connector assembly, crimp body andconnector sleeve into a female coupling housing.
 15. The method of claim14, wherein the one or more connector sleeve orientation features are afirst tab and a second tab comprising different shapes.
 16. The methodof claim 14, the female coupling housing comprising one or more femalecoupling nut orientation features comprising different shapes forcooperating with the first tab and second tab of the connector sleeve.17. The method of claim 14, the connector sleeve further including anorientation rail within the passageway.
 18. The method of claim 14, thefemale coupling housing further including attaching a stop ledgedisposed on an inner wall.
 19. The method of claim 14, further includingone or more tensile elements in the fiber optic cable andstrain-relieving at least some of the tensile elements of the fiberoptic cable to the crimp body.
 20. The method of claim 19, the one ormore tensile elements being a plurality of tensile yarns attachedbetween an outer barrel of the crimp body and a crimp band or one ormore strength components disposed between a first shell and a secondshell of the crimp body.
 21. The method of claim 14, further includinginserting a male OptiTap connector into an opening of the femalecoupling housing for optical mating.
 22. A hardened fiber opticconnector assembly, comprising: a fiber optic cable comprising at leastone optical fiber; and a female hardened fiber optic connector attachedto the at least one optical fiber of the fiber optic cable, the femalehardened fiber optic connector, comprising: a connector assembly; acrimp body comprising a first shell and a second shell for securing theconnector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachmentregion rearward of the front end; a connector sleeve comprising apassageway between a first end and a second end and including one ormore connector sleeve orientation features, and an orientation raildisposed within the passageway; and a female coupling housing comprisingan opening with an internal attachment feature along with one or morefemale coupling housing orientation features that cooperate with the oneor more connector sleeve orientation features for aligning the connectorsleeve inside the female coupling housing.
 23. The female hardened fiberoptic connector of claim 22, the wherein the fiber optic cable includesone or more tensile elements secured to the cable attachment region. 24.The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 23, the one or moretensile elements being a plurality of tensile yarns attached between anouter barrel of the crimp body and a crimp band or one or more strengthcomponents disposed between a first shell and a second shell of thecrimp body.
 25. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 22,wherein the first shell and second shell are secured using an adhesiveand/or a crimp band.